Portable welding apparatus



1965 H. J, ANDERSON PORTABLE WELDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 28, 1963 Fig.2.

INVENTOR Hubert J. Anderson 1955 H. J. ANDERSON PORTABLE WELDINGAPPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 INVENTOR Hubert J.Anderson United States Patent 3,217,136 PORTABLE WELDING APPARATUSHubert J. Anderson, Pewanlree, Wis, assignor to Automatic WeldingCompany, Waukesha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 28, 1963,Ser. No. 254,381 14 Claims. (Cl. 219-430) This invention relates to aportable welding apparatus and particularly to a portable semi-automaticwelding apparatus having unprecedented flexibility and adaptability ofuse yet which is of simple and inexpensive design and construction.

By semi-automatic I mean a welding apparatus in which a consumablewelding wire or electrode is mechanically fed to the welding nozzlewhile the nozzle is manipulated, i.e., held in the welders hand andtraversed over the work by the welder himself rather than by mechanicalmeans as in a so-called automatic welder.

Many welding jobs are of such character that they can most efficientlyand economically be performed by hand welding yet they are of such sizethat it is desirable to use a mechanically fed consumable electrode orwelding wire. I have designed a portable welding apparatus or unit whichis ideally suited to such jobs and which has flexibility of mounting anduse not possessed by prior portable welding units. The mountingstructure or casing of the unit which contains the wire feed means (hereinafter called the wire feed unit) is preferably provided with a handleadapting it to be carried suspended from the handle. It is adapted by asimple adjustment to feed the welding wire either generally horizontallyor generally vertically. Novel means for mounting the wire feed unit areprovided, which means are unprecedentedly simple and economical indesign yet effectively serve their purpose. The wire feed unit of theportable welding apparatus may be mounted on a stationary base, on awheeled carrier or even on a welding wire receptacle.

I provide a portable welding apparatus comprising a mounting structurehaving a handle adapting it to be carried suspended from the handle,first means defining a generally horizontal welding wire path throughthe mounting structure, second means defining a generally verticalwelding wire path through the mounting structure, wire feed means andmounting means for mounting the wire feed means in the mountingstructure selectively in position to feed wire in the generallyhorizontal path defined by said first means and in position to feed wirein the generally vertical path defined by said second means. Preferablythe generally horizontal and generally vertical wire paths intersect andthe wire feed means are disposed in the plane defined by suchintersecting paths in both of said positions. Desirably the mountingmeans mounting the Wire feed means in the mounting structure engage thesame portions of the mounting structure in both positions of the wirefeed means. The wire feed means and the mounting means may havecooperating mounting portions which register with each other in bothpositions of the wire feed means. The mounting portions may be holesreceiving mounting means such as bolts. The holes are desirably arrangedas the apices of a plane figure having all sides equal and all includedangles equal; I prefer to arrange the holes in a square. The mountingstructure preferably comprises a casing having a first pair of opposedopenings in the sides of the casing through which welding wire isadapted to pass (into the casing at one side and out at the oppositeside) and a second pair of opposed openings in the top and bottom of thecasing through which welding Wire is adapted similarly to pass. The wirefeed means are mounted in the casing selectively in position to feedWire passing through the first pair of opposed openings and in positionto feed wire passing through the second pair of opposed openings.

I further provide a portable welding apparatus comprising a base, amounting structure having wire feed means therein, the mountingstructure being disposed on the base, the base having holddown means,the mounting structure having at one side an opening receiving theholddown means whereby to hold down to the base that side of themounting structure, and means at the opposite side of the mountingstructure fastening such opposite side of the mounting structure to thebase whereby to connect the mounting structure to the base. The basepreferably has one or more holddown fingers extending upwardly andlaterally therefrom and in such case the mounting structure has at oneside as many openings as there are fingers receiving the laterallyprojecting portions of the holddown fingers whereby to hold down to thebase that side of the mounting structure. Preferably removable means areprovided at the opposite side of the mounting structure fastening suchopposite side of the mounting structure to the base whereby to connectthe mounting structure to the base. The removable means may comprisebolts with nuts applied thereto to hold in place clips or bracketsbearing against the mounting structure.

I further provide a portable welding apparatus com prising a receptaclefor welding wire, the receptacle having a rim, a mounting structuremounted on the rim of the receptacle and wire feed means in the mountingstructure to feed toward a welding zone wire from the receptacle. Meansare preferably provided supporting the mounting structure in position tofeed toward a welding zone wire from the receptacle, the supportingmeans being mounted at least in part on the receptacle. The mountingstructure may have wire feed means therein disposed to feed wire in anupward direction and means may be provided supporting the mountingstructure in position generally above the receptacle to feed wire fromthe receptacle upwardly toward a welding zone. The supporting means maybe mounted at least in part on the receptacle. In certain cases it isdesirable to mount the supporting means entirely on the receptacle. Inother cases the supporting means are to advantage mounted in part on thereceptacle and in part independently of the receptacle.

The mounting structure may have the wire feed means therein disposed tofeed wire in a generally horizontal direction and means may be providedsupporting the mounting structure in position generally above butlaterally of the center of the receptacle to feed wire from thereceptacle generally horizontally toward a welding zone, the supportingmeans in this case normally being mounted in part on the receptacle andin part independently of the receptacle. Guide means are preferablyprovided through which the wire passes between the receptacle and thewire feed means disposed to feed wire generally horizontally forreceiving the wire moving in a generally upward direction out of thereceptacle and guiding it toward the wire feed means. The guide meansmay be a hollow flexible spring carried by the supporting means.

The supporting means supporting the mounting structure may comprisetubular' leg portions slotted at the bottom to embrace a portion of therim of the welding wire receptacle. Set screws may be provided which maybe threaded through the slotted portions of the supporting means totightly fasten the supporting means to the receptacle.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of cer tain present preferredembodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferredembodiments of the invention in which FIGURE 1 is a side view, withportions removed affording a view to its interior, of a welding wirefeed unit;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the welding wire feed unit shown in FIGURE 1with a portion cut away afiording a partial view to the interior of theunit;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing the lower portion of the weldingwire feed unit shown in FIGURE 1 but with the wire feed roll gearsarranged to feed welding wire vertically rather than horizontally as inFIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of a wheeled carrier having the welding wirefeed unit and a reel of welding wire mounted thereon;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view with portions cut awayshowing mounting of the welding wire feed unit on a welding wirereceptacle;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the structure of FIG- URE 5 FIGURE 7 is aview similar to FIGURE 5 but showing mounting of the welding wire feedunit partially on the welding wire receptacle and partially separatetherefrom; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the structure of FIG- URE 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown aportable welding apparatus having a welding wire feed unit comprising amounting structure in the form of a casing 2 having a handle 3 adaptingit to be carried suspended from the handle. Mounted in the casing 2 is amotor 2a driving through suitable gearing in a gear case 212 a shaft 20to which is fixed a welding wire feed roll gear 5 having teeth 5ainterrupted to provide a peripheral channel 512 to receive the weldingwire to be fed. The shaft 2c extends through a block 4, the feed rollgear 5 being applied to the shaft 20 outside the block. Pivoted to theblock 4 at 6 is an L-shaped lever 7 in which is rotatably mounted asecond welding wire feed roll gear 8 which cooperates with the feed rollgear 5 to feed welding wire toward a welding zone. The welding wire feedroll gear 8 may be identical with the welding wire feed roll gear 5,having teeth 5a and a channel 517. The teeth of the two feed roll gearsmesh and the welding wire is gripped and fed in the cooperating channels5b of the two feed roll gears. A bracket 9 is mounted on the block 4-and a screw 10 having an enlarged head 11 adapting it to be turned byhand passes freely through a bore through the bracket 9 and is threadedinto a flange 12 at the extremity of the lever 7. A compression coilspring 13 is biased between the bracket 9 and the head 11 of the screw10 and urges the roll 8 against the roll 5. The pressure with which theroll 8 is urged toward the roll 5 may be adjusted by turning the screw10. A wire guide 14 is carried by the plate 4, being maintained in placeby a strap 15 tightened about the wire guide 14 by a screw 16 threadedinto the plate 4. The axis of the wire guide 14 is coincident with thethroat between the rolls 5 and 8 formed by the cooperating channels 5bso that the wire guide guides a welding electrode or wire properly tothe feed rolls which advance the electrode or wire toward the weldingzone.

As will be seen in FIGURE 1, the casing 2 is provided in opposedgenerally upright walls with openings 17 and 18 which are in horizontalalignment with each other and also with the axis of the guide 14 and thethroat formed between the rolls 5 and 8. Thus the rolls 5 and 8 feedwire entering the casing 2 through the opening 17 and passing throughthe guide 14 and between the rolls 5 and 8 and passing out of the casing2 through the opening 18, the openings 17 and 18 serving as guide meansfor the wire.

The plate 4 is fastened in place in the casing 2 by four screws 19. Thescrews 19 are arranged in equidistant relationship as the corners of asquare with the axis of the shaft 2c at the center of the square. Thescrews 19 t pass through openings in the plate 4 and are threaded intocorrespondingly positioned threaded bores in the gear case 212.

As the parts are arranged in FIGURE 1 welding wire is, as aboveindicated, fed from left to right through the openings 17 and 18 in thecasing. It may be desired without changing the orientation of the casingto feed welding wire therethrough generally vertically, for ex ample,upwardly through the bottom of the casing and out through the top. Tothis end the casing is provided with an opening 20 through its bottomand an aligned opening 21 through its top which may be closed by springheld caps 20a and 21a respectively when the openings 20 and 21 are notin use. The openings 20 and 21, like the openings 17 and 18, serve asguide means for the wire. To set up for feeding wire upwardly throughthe openings 2t} and 21 the screws 19 are removed and the block 4. isrotated in the counterclockwise direction viewing FIGURE 1 through anangle of about the axis of the shaft 20 to the position shown in FIGURE3 whereupon the screws 19 are replaced. This can be done because thethreaded bores or attaching portions in the gear case 2b are arranged ina square as are the openings or attaching portions in the plate 4through which the screws or attaching means pass. When the plate 4- withthe mechanism carried thereby as above explained is turned in thecounterclockwise direction through an angle of 90 from the position ofFIGURE 1 to the position of FIGURE 3 and fastened in place the axis ofthe guide 14 and the throat formed by the rolls 5 and 8 will extendvertically in alignment with the axes of the openings 20 and 21, Thus bythe simple expedient of removing the screws 19 and turning the plate 4through an angle of 90 the wire feed means may be disposed or adapted tofeed welding wire through the casing toward a welding zone eitherhorizontally or vertically as may be most convenient without alteringthe orientation of the casing.

One of the primary advantages of my portable welding apparatus is itsflexibility and adaptability of mounting. The wire feed unit is adaptedto be mounted on a base in various different relationships to the workand to the source of welding wire. In FIGURE 4 the mounting structure orcasing 2 is shown as being mounted on a wheeled carrier 22 upon which isalso mounted in tandem with the mounting structure or casing 2 a wiresupply unit 23 shown in this instance as comprising a reel 24 rotatablymounted upon a vertical spindle 25 delivering welding wire through theopening 117 into the casing and thence through the guide 14 and betweenthe rolls 5 and 8 and out through the opening 18 into a tubular guide 26and thence to the work. The tubular guide 26 may be combined with ahandle structure 27 for moving the wheeled carrier 22.

The top surface of the wheeled carrier 22 constitutes a base upon whichthe mounting structure or casing 2 is disposed. The base has holddownmeans shown as being in the form of fingers 28 spaced slightly above theupper surface of the carrier 22 and extending laterally toward thecasing 2, two such fingers being shown which are spaced apart widthwiseof the wheeled carrier 22. The casing 2 has near its bottom openings 29receiving the fingers 28 whereby to hold down to the base the side ofthe casing having the openings 29. At the opposite side of the casing,i.e., the side adjacent the wire supply unit 23, the casing is held downon the wheeled carrier 22 by removable clips 30 which may like thefingers 28 enter openings provided therefor in the casing and which maybe held down on the wheeled carrier 22 by wing nuts 31 threaded ontostuds 32 extending upwardly from the wheeled carrier through the slotsin the clips 30. The casing 2 may be fastened in the manner described toa base in various relationships to the work and to the wire supply.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a receptacle 33 for welding wire, the receptaclebeing cylindrical with its axis vertical and being open at the top andhaving a rim 34. The welding wire is arranged in coil form in thereceptacle 33 with the axis of the coil vertical and is adapted to bewithdrawn upwardly out of the receptacle as the welding progresses.

Mounted atop the receptacle 33 are supporting means for the mountingstructure or casing 2, the supporting means being shown as comprising abase plate to which the casing 2 is fastened in the same manner as aboveexplained and shown in FIGURE 4 with respect to the wheeled carrier 22.The plate 35 is carried by two brackets 36 and 37. It may be fastened tothe brackets in any suitable way as by welding, bolting, etc. Thebracket 36 is of U shape with its legs extending downwardly while thebracket 37 is of L shape with one leg extending horizontally and theother leg extending downwardly from the horizontal leg. The plate 35 iscarried by the horizontal leg at the top of the U shaped bracket 36 andthe horizontal leg at the top of the L shaped bracket 37 as shown inFIGURES 5 and 6. The brackets are of tubular material, for example,pipe, and may have collars or coupling members 38 applied to their lowerextremities as by threading. Each of the members 38 is upwardly slottedfrom its bottom as shown at 39 adapting the slot to fit over the rim ofthe receptacle 33. The members 38 may be turned to proper orientation tofit over the rim of the receptacle. Preferably the portion of eachmember 38 lying outside the receptacle is somewhat elongated relativelyto the portion lying inside the receptacle and has a set screw threadedtherethrough to bear against the outer surface of the receptacle so thatwhen the brackets 36 and 37 have been applied to the receptacle 33 theymay be firmly fastened to the receptacle by tightening the set screws40.

In the setup shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the welding wire is fed generallyvertically upwardly from the receptacle 33 through the opening 20 intothe casing 2 and thence through the guide 14, between the rolls 5 and 8and out through the opening 21 to a welding zone disposed generallyabove the casing. In this case the casing 2 is supported entirely on thereceptacle 33.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 a modified mounting arrangement for the wire feedunit is shown. The plate 35 is mounted on the brackets 36 and 37 in thesame manner as above described with respect to FIGURES 5 and 6 exceptthat in this case the horizontal leg of the bracket 37 extends almostcompletely across the bottom of the casing 2 as shown. Lengths oftubular material 41 and 42 are coupled to the bottoms of the verticallegs of the brackets 36 and 37. At the bottom of the lengths 41 oftubular material are provided collars or coupling members 43 which maybe identical with the members 38 and are applied to the rim of thereceptacle 33 in analogous manner. The length 42 of tubular materialwhich is coupled to the bottom of the vertical leg of the bracket 37extends downwardly to the floor or whatever support carries thereceptacle 33 as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. Thus in this setup the casing2 is supported in part on the receptacle 33 and in part independently ofthat receptacle.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 a lateral extension 44 is shown as applied to one ofthe vertical legs of the bracket 36, which extension carries a hollowflexible spring 45 serving as guide means for the welding wire as it isdelivered generally upwardly out of the receptacle 33. The welding wiredelivered upwardly out of the receptacle 33 passes through the guide 45and turns laterally to enter the casing 2 through the opening 17 whenceit passes through the guide 14, between the rolls 5 and 8 and outthrough the opening 18 to the welding zone. In the setup of FIGURES 7and 8 the casing 2 is disposed generally above but laterally of thecenter of the receptacle to adapt 6 it to feed wire delivered upwardlyfrom the receptacle generally horizontally toward the welding zone.

Thus my portable welding apparatus has flexibility of mounting and usewhich extend its adaptibility far beyond that of the portable weldingapparatus of similar type heretofore available.

The circuitry of the portable welding apparatus may be conventional orunconventional, such, for example, as disclosed in copending applicationSerial No. 247,019, filed December 26, 1962. Subject matter disclosedbut not claimed herein is claimed in my copending divisional applicationSerial No. 347,402, filed February 26, 1964, now Patent No. 3,162,750,dated December 22, 1964.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodimentsof the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention isnot limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable welding apparatus comprising a mounting structure having ahandle adapting it to be carried suspended from the handle, the mountingstructure having first guide means defining a generally horizontalwelding wire path through the mounting structure and second guide meansdefining a generally vertical welding wire path through the mountingstructure, wire feed means adapted to be carried by the mountingstructure but removable therefrom and attaching means for attaching thewire feed means to the mounting structure selectively in twopredetermined positions in the mounting structure: (1) in position tofeed wire in the generally horizontal path defined by said first guidemeans and (2) in position to feed wire in the generally vertical pathdefined by said second guide means.

2. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which thegenerally horizontal and generally vertical wire paths intersect and thewire feed means are disposed in the plane defined by such intersectingpaths in both of said positions.

3. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which theattaching means attaching the wire feed means to the mounting structureengage the same portions of the mounting structure in both positions ofthe wire feed means.

4. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the wirefeeds means and the mounting structure have cooperating attachingportions which register with each other in both positions of the wirefeed means in the mounting structure,

5. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which theattaching portions are holes receiving attaching means such as bolts.

6. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the holesare arranged as the apices of a plane figure having all sides equal andall included angles equal.

7. A portable welding apparatus comprising a casing having a handleadapting it to be carried suspended from the handle, a first pair ofopposed openings in the sides of the casing through which welding wireis adapted to pass (into the casing at one side and out at the oppositeside), a second pair of opposed openings in the top and bottom of thecasing through which welding wire is adapted similarly to pass, wirefeed means adapted to be carried by the casing but removable therefromand attaching means for attaching the wire feed means to the casingselectively in two predetermined positions in the casing: 1) in positionto feed wire passing through the first pair of opposed openings and (2)in position to feed wire passing through the second pair of opposedopenmgs.

8. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the pathof wire passing through the first pair of opposed openings and the pathof wire passing through the second pair of opposed openings intersect inthe casing and the wire feed means are disposed in the plane defined bysuch intersecting paths in both of said postiions.

9. A portable Welding apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which theattaching means attaching the wire feed means to the casing engage thesame portions of the. casing in both positions of the wire feed means.

10. A portable Welding apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the wirefeed means and the casing have cooperating attaching portions whichregister with each other in both positions of the wire feed means in thecasing.

11. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which theattaching portions are holes receiving, attaching means such as bolts.

12. A portable welding apparatus as claimed in clairrn 11 in which theholes are arranged as the apices of an plane figure having all sidesequal and all included angles equal.

13. A portable Welding apparatus comprising a base, a; mountingstructure having Wire feed means therein, the mounting structure beingdisposed on the base, the base having holddown means, the mountingstructure having at one side a generally upright casing portion havingan opening therethrough receiving the holddown means whereby to holddown to the base that side of the mounting structure, and means at theopposite side of the mounting structure fastening such opposite side ofthe mounting structure to the base whereby to connect the mountingstructure to the base.

14. A portable welding apparatus comprising a base, a mounting structurehaving wire fed means therein, the mounting structure being disposed onthe base, the base having a holddown finger extending upwardly andlaterally therefrom, the mounting structure having at one side agenerally upright casing portion having an opening therethroughreceiving the laterally projecting portion of the holddown fingerwhereby to hold down to the base that side of the mounting structure,and removable means at the opposite side of the mounting structurefastening such opposite side of the mounting structure to the basewhereby to connect the mounting structure to the base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,066,163 12/36Stephens et al. 3l469 2,583,586 1/52 Miller 248361 X 2,833,912 5/58Rayer 219130 2,880,305 3/59 Baird 219130 2,912,612 11/59 Brady et a1314-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 218,467 11/58 Australia.

RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3,217136 November 9, 1965 Hubert J. Anderson It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, line 47, for "feeds" read feed column 7, line 4, for"postiions" read positions column 8, line 4, for "fed" read feed Signedand sealed this 27th day of September 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SW'IDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner ofPatents

1. A PORTABLE WELDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A MOUNTING STRUCTURE HAVING AHANDLE ADAPTING IT TO BE CARRIED SUSPENDED FROM THE HANDLE, THE MOUNTINGSTRUCTURE HAVING FIRST GUIDE MEANS DEFINING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALWELDING WIRE PATH THROUGH THE MOUNTING STRUCTURE AND SECOND GUIDE MEANSDEFINING A GENERALLY VERTICAL WELDING WIRE PATH THROUGH THE MOUNTINGSTRUCTURE, WIRE FEED MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED BY THE MOUNTINGSTRUCTURE BUT RE-